Over the past few months I have burnt up the road traveling from the golden shores of California to the costal plains of the Carolinas. I have racked up thousands of miles on my '06 Dodge Ram 2500 hauling, pulling, and cruising from one destination to the next. Given the modifications done to my 5.9L Cummins and 48RE transmission, I rarely worried about power and performance, but I have been overlooking one of the most obvious and smartest upgrades, a differential cover. Sure, it's no super-trick twin-turbo setup, but how valuable is all that tire-churning power when you're stuck on the side of the highway because you smoked your rearend?
Keeping your rearend cool is extremely important, as excessive heat will break down gear oil, eventually damaging the truck's differential bearings and gears and leaving you with a costly fix. Luckily, Mag-Hytec is a company that specializes in keeping things cool. With roots in aerospace manufacturing, the company engineers each of its aftermarket aluminum covers to the highest quality, thus they are not only masterfully designed but aesthetically pleasing to boot.
Replacing the factory AAM 11.5-inch cover in the rear of my 3/4-ton Dodge, the new unit holds a whooping 7.5 quarts of gear oil and has a built-in dipstick, drain plug, and temperature port for those of you gauge gurus. Installing in less than an hour, it's a sound investment that will cover your rear in more ways than one.
Each Mag-Hytec differential cover is cast in A356-T6 aluminum and sealed with a textured powdercoat finish. Included with each kit are new stainless steel hardware, a gasket or seal, and tools to perform the install! Also, while not required, running synthetic gear oil such as Mobil 1 is another smart move to conquer the heat and keep your differential cool for the long haul.